This article originally appeared on
Monkey Bars, Mud Pies, & Movement
by: M.B.Varville-Rodriguez
My children were born with practically no fear for their personal safety. When my daughter was born the hospital gifted her with those plastic ankle and wrist name tags. She quickly found a way to get her mother into trouble by houdini-ing her way out of those suckers. The nurse said, "Ms. Rodriguez she has to keep those on." No shit. I don't know how she managed to sneak out of those things, but she did. Safety. She had no concern for it from day one. Her brothers followed suit and showed similar lack of concern for all things programmed to send shock waves of worry through their mother.
It
doesn't matter how many times I remind them or encourage them to
consider the consequences of their actions. Truth be told, we are
fortunate that our trips to the Emergency Room have been minimal when I
review the schematics of their motor planning fiascos. We have had
accidental corneal abrasions due to sibling rough housing...right before
school one morning. There have been monkey bar mishaps that resulted
in x-rays, slings, and soft casts. Let's not forget the run ins with
wall corners and curbs that have left long lasting souvenirs on
foreheads; also some so close to the corners of tiny eyes that you
cringe at the memory. Yup. That's my bunch.
I
have to admit that my children don't exactly have it easy with me as
their mother. I like to give explanations regarding why something
shouldn't be attempted or why certain protocols must be employed based
on a specific situation. It's summer time, so let's take the pool as
one example. I do not want them jumping near the edges or the steps.
Why? Because I visualize head injuries, concussions, and a life time of
dealing with short term memory loss. Don't even get me started on the
potential for spinal cord injuries and near drownings.
When
you have worked with children and adults who have experienced these
types of tragedies, it does something to your attention to detail. Your
concerns are heightened and those concerns naturally get filtered down
to your own family. Sorry kids, but mommy's worked with individuals who
have survived some horrific situations. Deal with that, my darlings,
and hopefully you will be more aware even when I am no longer there to
remind you. (Also, alcohol and water should never be mixed. Being
alert while swimming or near others who are swimming is one of those
absolutes...no room for mistakes on this one.)
It's
a constant struggle for me to allow activities that have some risk
attached. I have allowed them to go zip lining. They are excellent
swimmers and know my safety rules for the pool. We all had a blast
riding go carts in Mexico. My children all know how to ride a bicycle
and roller skate. (Not at the same time. Thankfully they haven't
suggested that yet.) We have gone on long road trips together and
gotten so lost in the state of Texas that I was relieved when a trooper
pulled me over. He took pity on me and helped me find my way back to a
main highway. (Hey...don't laugh unless you've tried to drive through
those country roads that go on F-O-R-E-V-E-R) So we are no strangers to
adventure.
So
this past weekend when my 8 year old son asked me to take him to a
skate park, I totally believe he felt capable of handling that
challenge. We had tried the skate park a few months ago, and it
resulted in a sprained ankle. At this point I'm an expert at wrapping
sprains, having experienced quite a few of my own. But I did not want
to take any chances. My son had dismantled his bike helmet and
deconstructed the elbow and knee pads a while back, and I was in no
position to repurchase those items fearing they would encounter the same
demise. So we agreed on a park where the sidewalks were fairly smooth
and a decent sized basketball court would provide a level space for him
to practice his tricks. That was my compromise.
I
had nightmares about the time he first tried to skateboard 2 years
ago. He fell and bumped his mouth. A bloody mouth and two loose front
teeth (way too soon...not even close to Christmas time) sent us to the
ER close to our home. Keep in mind that he did not injure his head and
only had minor scrapes on his knees. The first thing every medical
person said was, "Was he wearing a helmet?" Um...helmets are good and I
do agree they offer protection. In this case, it made no difference.
The helmet did not protect the mouth. In my son's case, the helmet
actually inhibited his field of vision and interfered with how his body
felt on the skateboard.
As
much as we want to protect our children from serious injuries, at some
point they are going to experience what it's like to get hurt. So we
instruct, encourage, and remind to the best of our abilities. And if,
heaven forbid, that day comes when they get hurt, we need to be strong
enough to help them through that as well. I jokingly have told my
children we need to invent a bubble wrap suit. But the reality is we
cannot avoid all the variables that factor into our day. So be careful,
but have fun too. Hopefully you'll skateboard through life's
challenges with minimal damage.
By
the way, we made it through the weekend sans injuries! We had perfect
weather for the park and even picked up a few items for an impromptu
picnic. As I watched my children zipping down the sidewalk on their
skateboards, I was reminded of my own attempts to ride my brother's
skateboard down the driveway when I was a kid. Skinned knees and elbows
healed. My sense of needing adventure....still there. I wish the same
for my children...a never ending desire for adventures. (Not the
skinned knees and elbows.)
Hope your week is filled with manageable challenges!
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| Copyright 2022 M.B.Varville-Rodriguez |
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